Rasa Malaysia » Clamshttp://rasamalaysia.com
Easy Asian RecipesTue, 31 Mar 2015 21:56:00 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Chili Clams Recipehttp://rasamalaysia.com/chili-clams-recipe/
http://rasamalaysia.com/chili-clams-recipe/#commentsWed, 22 May 2013 05:29:38 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=22985Most Malaysians love clams, especially those stir-fried with a spicy chili paste. I love clams; I grew up eating all sort of clams as my late mother would buy clams from the market and cooked them into a variety of delectable dishes, such as chili clams. (Check out my chili crab recipes here and here.) One of my favorite childhood memories was the many clam digging picnics with my late parents, at the beaches in Penang, and Kedah—my mother’s seaside hometown. Whenever we went to a beach, we would dig up the sands in search of clams, or siput. We would spend hours until we harvested enough clams for dinner, I was always so excited whenever we went to the beach. The few years when I was in the midwest of America, I was constantly craving for fresh clams. But alas, there were never any live clams at the markets there, due to the cold weather. Once in a while, our local Chinese restaurants would get some clams, but most of the times, the clams were stale and they were simply horrendous to eat. I am so blessed that I am now in the west coast where fresh and live clams are always available at Asian stores, and I can have my fix of chili clams whenever I like. The briny and sweet flavours of clams pair perfectly with the spicy chilli and bean sauce in this chili clams recipe. Please take note that each clam will cook at a different time, so as soon as the shell opens up, remove from the heat immediately. If the clams don’t open up, they are probably bad and should be discarded.

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/chili-clams-recipe/feed/12Soft Shell Clams (Steamers) with Garlic Butterhttp://rasamalaysia.com/soft-shell-clams-steamers-with-garlic-butter/
http://rasamalaysia.com/soft-shell-clams-steamers-with-garlic-butter/#commentsTue, 11 Sep 2012 05:57:27 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=19140Last weekend, we went to Redondo Beach to celebrate my friend’s birthday. Redondo Beach is probably one of my favorite places to go to in the Los Angeles area, not because of the spectacular views and the nice beaches, but for the seafood. If you are a local or have visited Redondo Beach, you will know that locals and tourists alike flock there because it offers (to me) the freshest seafood in the area, with many seafood shacks selling everything from fresh oysters to steamed Dungeness crab or lobster, and more. One of the most popular seafood shacks is Quality Seafood, which always has a beeline of patrons lining up for its seafood. I LOVE Quality Seafood—there are all sorts of shellfish waiting for me. I think by now, everybody who reads Rasa Malaysia knows my penchant for shellfish, so Redondo Beach is practically my seafood paradise. One of the shellfish that I absolutely love but can’t get easily is soft shell clams or New England steamers. They have thin and fragile white-color shells, with siphon sticking out. Quality Seafood is the only place I know that carries this delicious clam. So I didn’t hesitate to load up a few pounds to bring home with me. Soft shell clams are extremely briny and sweet in taste, and the flesh is very tender and juicy. All I did was steaming them with a little garlic and butter, with some white wine. I would always “drink” the delicious clam juice/broth until not a single drop left. I introduced my friends these steamers and they absolutely loved them, too. You don’t even need a proper recipe to enjoy these clams, you can just steam them and serve with some melted butter, as seen on Simply Recipes. If you can’t find steamers where you...

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/soft-shell-clams-steamers-with-garlic-butter/feed/7Kam Heong Clams (Golden Fragrant Clams)http://rasamalaysia.com/kam-heong-clams-golden-fragrant-clams/
http://rasamalaysia.com/kam-heong-clams-golden-fragrant-clams/#commentsMon, 13 Feb 2012 17:00:39 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=13786“Kam Heong” is a signature Malaysian stir-fry style that is renowned for the fragrance imparted during the cooking process, hence the Cantonese term “Kam Heong (金香)”, which means “Golden Fragrance”. This one-of-a-kind style of stir-frying incorporates ingredients from Malay, Chinese, and Indian cooking to produce one of the most mouth-watering palate I have ever exposed my taste buds to. The main ingredients that give the “Kam Heong” dish its unique taste are fiery bird’s eye chilies, aromatic curry leaves, crispy bits of dried shrimp, savory curry powder and soy bean paste. Stir-frying these ingredients together yields a sauce that goes well with chicken, crab, squid, shrimp, pork and especially clams. Kam Heong Clams (金香拉拉) or Kam Heong Lala (known in Malaysia) is one of the most popular hawker creations “Dai Pai Dong” (大排档) (Cantonese for “open-air food stall”). I have cooked plenty of styles in clam dishes, eg. Thai-style Hoy Lai Ped, Taiwanese-style Clams, Japanese-style Asari No Sakamushi, and Kam Heong Clams is by far my favorite recipe for clams. Sometimes the most romantic setting for Valentine’s Day can be as simple as an exotic and seductive seafood dish and a bottle of wine. I am sure Kam Heong Clams is one of the dish to impress your loved one and hopefully you can make this in time for the special day, if not, any other day.

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/kam-heong-clams-golden-fragrant-clams/feed/33Thai-style Steamed Clamshttp://rasamalaysia.com/thai-steamed-clams/
http://rasamalaysia.com/thai-steamed-clams/#commentsFri, 26 Aug 2011 07:14:20 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=11390A few weeks ago, when my friend Eat A Duck I Must came to shoot my cookbook promo video for me, I made her a killer pot of Penang Assam laksa. After she left, all the remaining spices had been sitting in my fridge in a dark corner—lemongrass, bird’s eye chilies, galangal, and lime juice. Last week, my market was having a sale of Manila clams and I thought about a great recipe that would make use of the spices. I made this yummy Thai-style steamed clams… This steamed clams dish is everything Thai food is all about: hot, sour, aromatic, and addictive. Other than the spices, the secret ingredient is coconut water. You can get canned coconut water at Asian stores, however, water is fine as the clams are naturally briny and flavorful. I must say that the coconut water does add a subtle sweetness to the overall dish, and pairs perfectly with the exotic aromas of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Try this Thai steamed clams recipe the next time you have some Thai ingredients at hand. I am certain you will enjoy the great taste.

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/thai-steamed-clams/feed/24Ginger and Clam Soup (姜丝蛤蜊汤)http://rasamalaysia.com/ginger-and-clam-soup/
http://rasamalaysia.com/ginger-and-clam-soup/#commentsMon, 13 Sep 2010 19:36:55 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=7548I love soups of all sorts, especially Chinese soups. To the Chinese, soups are highly nourishing as each ingredient in the soup delivers a certain health (and beauty) benefit and promotes overall strengths to the body. Drinking soup is a huge part of the Chinese food culture, soup is often considered as “tonic” (補品). There are endless variations of soups in Chinese cuisine as so many ingredients could be used—Chinese herbal (medicinal), meat-based (chicken, pork, beef, duck, bones, etc.), vegetables (fresh and dried), dried seafood (dried scallops, abalone, oysters, etc.), fresh seafood, the exotics (bird’s nest, shark’s fin, etc.), and the combination of all the ingredients above. The possibilities are endless, and most importantly, delicious, wholesome, healthy, and certainly much more than the regular egg drop soup and hot and sour soup… One of the easiest soups that I always make at home is ginger and clam soup, or 姜丝蛤蜊汤. This soup is especially popular for the Taiwanese, and served at Taiwanese restaurants. It takes only a few ingredients and practically 15 minutes to prepare, but the end result is absolutely pleasing. According to my Chinese soups cookbook, ginger and clam soup is great for the liver and stimulates a healthy appetite.

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/ginger-and-clam-soup/feed/35Malaysian-style BBQ Seafoodhttp://rasamalaysia.com/malaysian-style-bbq-seafood/
http://rasamalaysia.com/malaysian-style-bbq-seafood/#commentsTue, 22 Jun 2010 17:20:31 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=7271My good friends Farina and Michael came over to visit last week and we made some Malaysian-style BBQ seafood, inspired by this popular hawker fare in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. They are called Portuguese-style baked seafood. There is really nothing Portuguese about it but Malaysia do have some Portuguese descendants because Malacca was a Portuguese colony in the 16th century. So perhaps this is how they bake their seafood—with fiery sambal, okras, and wrapped with aluminum foil. Farina and I enjoyed our BBQ so much. As Malaysians, we concluded that this is probably the best way to serve seafood BBQ-style. Our favorite is the BBQ clams with sambal and okras. It was simply lip smackingly delicious. To prepare these mouthwatering Malaysian-style BBQ, all you need are your favorite seafood and shellfish: shimp, squid, fish (we like stingray or white pomfret), clams, and some okras. Mix the seafood of your choice (you can also do a seafood combination) with sambal, okra, and wrap the aluminum foil tightly (preferably two layers to avoid leakage), and off onto the grill. That’s it. Try this new recipe this summer. You will not be disappointed!

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/malaysian-style-bbq-seafood/feed/26Taiwanese-style Clams (台式炒蛤蜊)http://rasamalaysia.com/taiwanese-style-clams-recipe/
http://rasamalaysia.com/taiwanese-style-clams-recipe/#commentsTue, 19 Jan 2010 20:33:19 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=5563I haven’t been traveling for a while, well, not since my trips to China and Malaysia last June and Hawaii in last August. I miss traveling a lot, mostly, I miss eating local foods and exploring local cooking styles. It’s amazing to me that even with the same ingredients, different places have their own signature ways of preparing the ingredients. Even though Taiwan is not a huge tourist destination to most people, I love the place. I had been to Taipei a few times, and one of the things that I love most about the city is the many “百元小炒” Chinese food establishments. 百元小炒 means NT$100 (about US$3.20) stir-fries, which basically are popular and very affordable dishes served at Chinese restaurants. The restaurants that offer such specials are usually very humble in the appearance and set up—a shop house with a cashier counter, round tables and chairs, and a hot stir-fry kitchen (some visible and some don’t). 百元小炒 is a popular food culture in Taipei and the dishes are great for sharing with friends, late-night supper, and especially great with cold beer. Whenever I go to Taipei, I would look out for restaurants that serve the NT$100 dishes. Unfortunately, in the recent years, they are harder to come by because foods are getting more expensive. Regardless, this Taiwanese-style clams is a typical 百元小炒 dish that I love. Well, you know, I always love clams. Stir-fried with the basic Chinese seasonings of oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, and infused with the spiciness of fresh red chilies, these clams retain the original briny sweet taste. This type of stir-fry is very homey, but hard to find in Chinese restaurants in Malaysia or the US, but in Taiwan, this is one of the most popular ways of preparing clams. While Taipei...

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/taiwanese-style-clams-recipe/feed/21Curry Clams Recipehttp://rasamalaysia.com/curry-clams/
http://rasamalaysia.com/curry-clams/#commentsSun, 18 Oct 2009 16:16:05 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=4696Whenever I go back to Penang, I would never miss out ordering this dish at the “Ikan Panggang” (grilled fish) hawker stall. Even though ikan, a Malay word that literally means fish, you can find all sorts of grilled seafood. One of my favorite this this curry clams, which is basically clams seasoned with some curry powder and seasonings, and grilled on a flat griddle over banana leaves. I simply love the aroma of the curry powder and the burnt smell from banana leaves. Here is my simple curry clam recipe that you can easily replicate at home without having to travel to Malaysia. You can use just about any clams but I love it with Manila clams. The briny taste of the clams and the aromatic curry deliver a wonderful taste and flavor.

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/curry-clams/feed/14Clams Recipe: Hoy Lai Ped (Spicy Clams in Thai Roasted Chili Paste)http://rasamalaysia.com/clams-recipe-hoy-lai-ped/
http://rasamalaysia.com/clams-recipe-hoy-lai-ped/#commentsWed, 19 Aug 2009 19:44:48 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=4011One early morning in January when I was home in Penang, my brother, sister, nephew, our maid and I set off to a clam-digging expedition in a little island off the coast of Penang. In less than two hours, we dug two buckets full of big, fat, and succulent fresh clams, after we got both our hands and feet wet, not to mention some mud on my sister’s hair. It was one of the most exciting, fun-filled, and fruitful excursions nonetheless. We had so much fun! As soon as we went home, my brother cooked up a big batch of hoy lai ped, or fried clams with roasted chili paste, a Thai recipe that he had learned from his Thai friend. Our family and all the kids gathered together and savored the bounty with great victory–nothing tastes quite as good as food caught with our own hands. Hoy lai ped literally means spicy clams in Thai. It’s a popular clam recipe in Thailand. Thailand is blessed with abundant seafood and clams are hugely popular. Hoy lai ped is very easy to prepare and you need only a few key ingredients: Thai roasted chili paste or “nam prik pao,” fresh basil leaves, and bird’s eye chilies. It has become one of my favorite clam recipes because of its vibrant flavors: fiery hot and exuberantly briny with a robust minty note from the basil leaves. Now back in the US, I often make hoy lai ped. While there is no clam digging, I can always get fresh Manila clams from Asian supermarkets. My brother’s friend also bought me a big tin of nam prik pao (Thai roasted chili paste) which is now an essential ingredient in my cooking repertoire. Here is my recipe for hoy lai ped or spicy clams in Thai...

]]>http://rasamalaysia.com/clams-recipe-hoy-lai-ped/feed/51Egg Drop Soup with Clamshttp://rasamalaysia.com/egg-drop-soup-recipe/
http://rasamalaysia.com/egg-drop-soup-recipe/#commentsWed, 22 Jul 2009 01:41:17 +0000http://rasamalaysia.com/?p=3892I used to dread egg drop soup (蛋花汤); I had countless bad, sticky, gooey egg drop soup made popular by American Chinese restaurants here in the US. When I was a poor and starving graduate student in the Midwest, I ate too much crappy Chinese buffets or lunch specials with endless supply of MSG-loaded egg drop soup. I was not a big fan of it. But it all changed recently when I was in Shanghai, when I dined at Jesse, a famous local gem that serves exquisite Shanghainese fare. Their egg drop soup was superior with light and refreshing broth (no starch added!) saturated with the natural sweetness of clams. My co-worker and I slurped the big serving of egg drop soup dry; it was satisfying. I have been making egg drop soup with clams since I came back. I try to replicate the taste and perfect the recipe, and I think I am getting there. Try my egg drop soup recipe and say goodbye to the runny, tasteless, plain, boring egg drop soup you get from your Chinese joints. Say hello to a refreshing, comforting, and home-made egg drop soup that you will need to beat the summer heat. If you don’t like clams, you can add tofu and it works fine, too. Enjoy!